The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN what turned out to be the biggest match-up of the 18th Star Performers Track Classic 2021 meet resulted in four sprinters attaining the qualifying standards for the World Athletics Under-18 and Under-23 Championships boys 100 metres.

On Saturday at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium after Fast Forward’s Wanya McCoy did the North American, Central American and Caribbean and World Athletes’ Under-20 standard in the 100m and Swift Athletics’ Wendell Miller did the same in the 400m, the two clashed in the middle of their races in the 200m.

Miller, a 12th grader at St John’s College, had to storm back down the home stretch to take the half-lap title in an impressive time of 20.75, while McCoy of Queen’s College, faltered at the end after taking the early lead, to settle for second in 20.84.

Not to be left out of the picture, Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Antoine Andrews trailed in third in 20.19 and DTSP Wold Pack’s Lamont Moss got fourth in 21.27.

When it was all said and done, the quartet surpassed the standard of 21.38 for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya from August 17-22.

“It was a good race,” Miller said. “I just wanted to run a fast time because I knew it was going to be a good race.”

McCoy said he has to give Miller credit for his stickability to come through at the end.

“I ran hard and he ran hard too,” McCoy said. “We now know where we’re and what we have to do (to prepare for the international meets), but I wished that we could practice together so that we could be better.”

Not only have they qualified for the World Athletics’ Under-23 Championships, but Miller, McCoy and Andrews also booked their tickets to the NACC Under-18 and U-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica from July 9-11.

In addition to the quartet, Paige Archer had an exceptional showing on the girls’ side as she qualified for both the NACAC and World Athletics junior championships in both the 100 and 200m.

Other qualifiers for NACAC were Carlos Brown in the under-18 100m and Tarahj Hudson in the under-20 boys’ javelin. Meanwhile, Larcartha Cooper and Shavantae Roberts both attained the World Athletics under-20 100m standard.

While he topped the field in the marquee 200m, Miller was also the better man in the 400m where he clocked 46.33 to surpass both the World Athletics’ qualifying time of 47.35 and the NACAC under-23 time of 46.43.

His nearest rival in the race was Omr Kelly of SPIA, who did 48.47 for second.

“I feel great about my performance. I came out here to run 46 seconds because I wasn’t able to run last week because of the funeral of one of our team-mates,” Miller said. “I just came here to do my best.”

Miller said he simply followed the instructions of coach Andrew Tynes and he got the job done. Now he can prepare for the major international meets after the Carifta Games were canceled.

“It’s amazing. It feels good because I’m the only one in my family running track and I know I’m making them feel proud every opportunity I get to compete,” he said.

McCoy, who trains with Frazer, said it was another good race for him.

“At the start, I got out, but with about 60 metres left, I started to pull away from everybody, so I felt confident,” said McCoy, who has now qualified for all three sprints in the 100, 200 and 400m. “I’ve been working hard in practice and it’s showing in my performances.”

Andrews said it was a good race and he’s elated about the qualifying performance.

“From the start of the meet, I had my mindset made up to go out there and qualify,” said the 18-year-old 11th grader at St John’s College.

Brown Jr, also a student at St John’s College, returned to the track after the burial of his father Carlos Brown Sr last week. He said while he’s still grieving, he knew he had to continue for his biggest supporter, his father.

“It was good. It was a bit windy, but I still did my best. I wanted to make my daddy proud,” he said. “I try not to worry about it. If I worry about it, it would only break me down, so I just try to keep my mind off it.”

Brown Jr, also trained by Tynes, said he’s disappointed that Carifta is canceled, but he hopes to go to the other big meets and shine for the Bahamas.

When she woke up Saturday morning, Paige Archer said the only thing she could do was pray to God to enable her to perform at her best in the meet. She ran 11.76 in the 100m to surpass the NACAC Under-18 standard of 1.77 and the World Athletics Under-20 time of 11.85. Star Trackers’ Nia Richards clocked 12.00 for second.

Archer, another competitor trained by Fraser, came back and took the 200m in 24.14, which was better than the NACAC standard of 24.22 and the World Athletics’ 24.35.

Kenyan Knights’ Shatalyn Dorsette was second in 24.39 and Richards got third in 24.45.

“I know I now have to remain humble after making the standards for the international meets,” said Archer, the 16-year-old 11th grader at Queen’s College.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. I just have to continue going to practice, work hard and keep building on my faith in God and my relationship with him.”

Cooper, in winning the under-20 girls’ 100m in 11.71 to pull Shavantae Robert through in second in 11.79 as they both surpassed the World Athletics under-20 100m qualifying time of 11.85, said she felt awesome.

“I am so proud of myself,” said Cooper, who is trained by Tito Moss. “In the heats, I didn’t have a good start, but in the final, I just pushed out of the blocks and went hard in my drive phrase.

“I’m proud. This isn’t my race and I did it. So I’m happy.”

On the field, Blue Chips Athletics’ Tarajh Hudson achieved the NACAC qualifying standard of 167-feet, 9-inches or 51.14m when he tossed the under-20 boys’ discus 180-0 (54.87m). Grand Bahamian Seth Thompson of Tabernacle Baptist Academy was a distant second with 123-6 (37.65m).

In some of the other highlights from the meet on the girls’ side, Hurry Murray’s Sarai Forbes won the under-7 60m (11.54) and 80m (14.61); Swift Athletics’ Rocellis Moxey took the under-11 100m 13.73) and 200m (29.13).

Road Runners’ Jasmine Thompson emerged as the under-13 200m (27.71) and 400m (1:03.83) champion; Spirit of Excellence’s Shekinah Johnson captured the under-15 100m (12.18) and 200m (24.43); Grand Bahama’s Heats Athletics’ Erin Barr dominated the under-17 800m (2:25.25) and 1,500m (5:02.13); Blue Chips Athletics’ Latia Saunders won the open shot put with 29-feet, 4-inches (8.94m) and the discus with 98-7 (30.06m) and Anne Marie Oriakhi, competing unattached, won the open women's discus with 123-10 (37.76m).

On the boys’ side, George Brown, the younger brother of Carlos Brown, posted a double triumph for Swift Athletics in the under-7 60m (10.33) and 80m (13.15). Hurray Murray’s Stafford Sweeting took the under-9 100m (15.61) and 200m (32.82).

Also, Red-Line Athletics’ Eagan Neely picked up a pair of victories in the under-13 100m (12.53) and 200m (25.63) and Hurray Murray’s Raywind Winder claimed the under17 800m (2:04.31) and 1,500m (4:27.93).

On the field, Blue Chips Athletics’ Kaden Cartwright took the under-17 boys’ discus with 115-7 (35.25m) and the javelin with 170-0 (51.83m) and his team-mate Abner Johnson secured the open shot put with 41-10 (12.75m) and the discus with 134-9 (41.09m).

A number of elite athletes also competed as Alliance Athletics’ Keanu Pennerman won the open men’s 100m in 10.49 and Leap of Faith’s Kaiwan Culmer cleared 52-7 1/4 (16.03m) in the men’s triple jump.

Tamar Myers, also from Leap of Faith, popped 44-2 (13.46m) in the women’s hop, skip and jump event, while Teshon Adderley had a clean sweep of the open women’s 400m (59.17) and 800m (2:26.31) and Auston Clarke of Speed Dynamics took the exciting open men’s two-lap race in 1:55.93.

Star Trackers’ founder and head coach David Charlton said the meet surpassed all of their expectations.

“We had a phenomenal day of competition. We saw some fantastic times,” he said. “We had athletes qualifying and requalifying for the upcoming international events, so as an organization and as a federation, we did a fantastic job today.”

Since the inception of the meet, JR McDonald was one of the principal sponsors and he continued to provide the support to the Star Trackers, despite the financial downturn in the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been a miserable year, but the kids need this, the parents need to see their kids compete, so let’s do what we can to get our lives back in order,” he said.

“I didn’t get to do as much as I would like to, but we will get back on the bandwagon and hopefully get back to where we were when we first started sponsoring the meet.”